Tools: check, build, fmt, preview, playground

The command line

partscript ref                        # the language, in one page
partscript check props/               # parse and check every .parts file under props/ (no building)
partscript build props/ -o out/       # every prop as out/<id>.glb
partscript build props/ -o out/ --only crate_stack,street_lamp
partscript build props/ -o out/ --only weathered_fence --seed 4817   # another deal of its draws
partscript list props/                # props, std parts and materials
partscript fmt props/a.parts          # print it in words (the readable form)
partscript fmt props/a.parts -w       # ...and write it back
partscript fmt props/a.parts --terse  # print it in shorthand

check

check reads every file, follows every use, and reports mistakes with the file and line, without building anything. It also estimates each prop's triangles and warns when a prop goes over its budget (2,500 for a prop, 6,000 with hero=1, or budget=N).

  crate_stack                              ~    36 tris  props/crates.parts:1
error: props/crates.parts:4: unknown material 'woood' (partscript materials lists them; or use #rrggbb/finish)
1 props, 1 errors, 0 warnings

--json prints the same as data. Exit status is 1 when there are errors.

build

build writes one .glb per prop (buildings excepted: see buildings), for the files in the folders it is given; the props of files they only import are used, not built. Textures are made once and cached in ~/.cache/partscript/textures (--cache DIR moves it, --no-cache makes them afresh).

--seed S deals every prop it builds again with that seed, as if each said seed=S, without touching the files: one more variant of a weathered fence or a graveyard, the same every time for the same seed. Each build writes the same file names, so give each seed its own -o folder.

  crate_stack                                  36 tris      4.1 ms
1 props -> out in 0.21 s (3 textures made)

fmt

Every shape line can be written in words or in shorthand, and fmt turns a file from one into the other, keeping its comments and layout:

b 0,0,~ .4,.3,.2 wood r=0,0,45 *5@.3,0,0 mx
box at=0,0,on size=.4,.3,.2 mat=wood turn=0,0,45 repeat 5 every .3,0,0 mirror x

The readable form is the one these docs use. fmt also wraps lines longer than 120 characters, carrying them on with a \ at the end of the line. See basics.

The preview

The repository's site/ folder is a small static site for looking at models:

sh site/build.sh                             # builds every example into site/models/, the playground and the docs
python3 -m http.server -d site 8765          # or any static server; then open http://localhost:8765

• viewer.html lists every model. Click one to orbit it. Hover a source line to light up the faces it made; hover an entry under Built from to light up everything that came through that part. Toggles: the PSX look (unlit, so only the baked shading shows, with snapped corners and fog), low resolution, wireframe, snap points.
• sheet.html is a contact sheet: two views of every model at once. Its address takes ?only=a,b, cols=, cell=, top=1, view=x,y,z, zoom= and psx=1.
• play.html is the playground.

The playground

The playground runs PartScript in the browser: the same compiler, built to WebAssembly (about 1 MB). Pick an example file or your own scratch file, type, and the model rebuilds half a second after you stop. Mistakes show under the editor and in the margin; click one to go to its line. Your edits stay in the browser. Every example in these docs opens there with try it.